Carlos Ulberg celebrates after beating Da Woon Jung. UFC 293, Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park Australia, September 2023. Photo: Photosport
The wait is finally almost over for 'The Black Jag'.
Much like his animal moniker, Kiwi MMA star Carlos Ulberg has had to be patient in order to catch his next prey.
Ulberg will meet Alonzo Menifield at UFC Fight Night in Missouri this Sunday (NZ time), after having three scheduled fights cancelled since his last appearance in Sydney, in September 2023.
The light heavyweight was set to take on former title challenger Dominick Reyes in January before Ulberg was forced to withdraw with injury.
Rebooked for March, the fight again fell through when Reyes was too hurt to make the card.
American Menifield stepped in as a replacement, but wanted more time in camp, so the fight was moved to 11 May.
Despite the multiple setbacks, Ulberg has not let the adversity break him as he looked to crack the UFC's top 15 rankings.
"It gave us and him enough time to prepare for this fight. So we're both healthy, it's gonna be a good one."
Ulberg said he will not only be chasing a 10th career win, but also the coveted 'Performance of the Night' bonus.
"I like Alonzo, he's a respectful guy. He's got power. He's explosive. It could go either way. It could be a total mess, Fight of the Night kind of fight. Or it could just be a a pick him apart kind of fight. So it really depends on how he brings the fight but we'll see on the night... We both want that $50k."
After a loss in his UFC debut, Ulberg has gone on a five-fight unbeaten run inside the octagon. His most recent win came via a third-round rear naked choke against Jung Da-un at UFC 293, the first submission of his career.
"I feel like I've evolved, I'm continuously learning and wanting to better myself every day. So right now I feel like I deserve to be in this top 15 and it's my time now, and show myself."
Carlos Ulberg UFC 293 in Sydney. Photo: Jonty Dine
Menefield, 15-3-1, is coming off two strong wins over Jimmy Crute and Dustin Jacoby, but Ulberg did not believe his streak was under threat.
"Nothing is surprising. I've seen it all. And I've been around for a while so I know what to expect."
UFC Fight Night will air on ESPN 2 on Sky from 11am Sunday (NZ time).